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‘SPREAD COAST’
New UM offensive coordinator Dan Enos says his offense will ‘look complex and remain simple’ while showcasing playmakers. It’s based on his West Coast and spread background. He calls it the...
CDuring what turned out to be a miserable 7-6 season in which the Miami Hurricanes underachieved and failed to live up to preseason expectations, one thing was abundantly clear — the offense was a mess.
The Hurricanes were plagued with quarterback questions and inconsistent line play. At times, receivers struggled to catch the passes that were thrown their way and on five different occasions, the Hurricanes were held under 17 points.
Miami averaged just 358.8 yards per game, which ranked 105th among 130 FBS programs nationally, and only 5.59 yards per play, which ranked 75th.
On Monday, new Hurricanes offensive coordinator Dan Enos — who spent last season as an associate head coach and quarterbacks coach at Alabama — addressed how he planned to fix that during a radio appearance on 560 WQAM.
His biggest message was they must truly utilize the talent they have on the field.
“We’re going to have to start to install our system and the system’s going to have a foundation, but the system is going to go in different directions based on the personnel we have here,” Enos said. “I think that good coaches can do things that best fit the personnel they have. And that’s the No. 1 thing. Obviously, there are going to be core things that we do, fundamentally, within the
system that we’re going to install and get up and run. We’re going to look at a lot of different things and a lot of different ways.
“But with my experience over the years — I’ve been around different teams that have had different personnel groupings that have kind of been the best for that particular team — those are going to change probably from year in and year out. … Obviously, we have some talented tight ends and some good wide receivers. We have to find ways to use those guys, implement them and get them on the field and do things that help [show] their abilities. I think we’ve got a good, young offensive line group. I think we have some good backs from what I’m hearing and investigating. So, I do think there’s a lot of core pieces there. I think it’s just going to be really exciting for our offensive staff to get in there, get to know these guys, get the stuff implemented, but then watch it change and progress and see where it goes through spring practice, through the summer, through fall camp and obviously into the season next year.”
Enos said his offensive philosophy uses elements of both the West Coast offense and the spread. He described his offense as one that looks complex, but remains simple.
“There’s certain things we can control as an offense. We can control who goes in the game. … We can control what formations we line up [in] and how we get to them, whether we shift in motion or get unbalanced, or whatever. And we control when the ball is snapped. The defense doesn’t dictate any of those things, so, I want to be multiple in all of those areas,” Enos said. “Let’s be different. Let’s shift, let’s motion, let’s use our groupings, let’s go fast, let’s go slow and do those things. I’ve been a guy that’s always wanted to do that, be multiple and give defenses things they have to practice against from week to week and get ready to get prepared for and spend time on.
“My background is really with the West Coast [offense], which a lot of guys are. I think there’s a West Coast element in a lot of offenses. But certainly with today’s day and age and the experiences I have, the spread offense is certainly mixed in there big. At Alabama, we did just a tremendous job with our [run-pass option]. That was a whole new world for me, opening up that avenue and getting into some of the creative things we did with that. Certainly, we’d like to be very versatile. Call it the ‘spread coast,’ or whatever you want to call it, but hopefully we’ll get the personnel in here, figure out who we have and hopefully, we’ll get very creative in how we get them the ball. Certainly we have to be really, really good and fundamentally, technically first. We’re going to be an offense that plays with great effort, great toughness, but then, let’s try to use our tools and let’s try to put them in the best place we can. … and get the ball to our playmakers.”
One area where the Hurricanes could use Enos’ expertise is in Miami’s quarterbacks room, where veteran Malik Rosier has graduated and rising redshirt sophomores N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon, along with rising redshirt freshman Jarren Williams, will compete for playing time.
Of that group, only Perry has significant experience, starting six games last season and playing in 11. He completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,031 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions and alternated starts and reps with the departed Rosier.
Williams, a former fourstar prospect out of Georgia, appeared in just one game — Miami’s 77-0 drubbing of Savannah State. Weldon, who was suspended for a four-game stretch after violating an undisclosed team rule, played in four games and completed 2-of-3 passes.
Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz has said all three will enter the season with a “clean slate” as they try to compete for the starting job, but he’s also made it clear the program isn’t opposed to bringing in a transfer to help foster competition.
On that front, Miami hosted Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday for a visit. The Hurricanes will also reportedly host former Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell for a visit this week.
On Monday, Enos couldn’t say much about Hurts’ visit, but he did say he intends to get to know the quarterbacks already on the roster and help them improve moving forward.
“I want to try and get to know them as people and establish a relationship with them here as we get going,” Enos said of Perry, Weldon and Williams. “Obviously, after Signing Day, when we’re back in the office full time, we’ll certainly start to implement our offense and start talking to them. Obviously, with the rules the way they are, I won’t be able to get out there and work with them with a football until spring practice, but certainly, I will really, really look forward to that.
“After that, that’s kind of what happened at Alabama, after the spring was over, we went through with each player and we did a throwing motion analysis, a drop analysis, and after that we were able to really, really pinpoint some areas of improvement that could take place between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp. And my job as a coach is to give them the drills and the things necessary to make improvements in those areas. But then, they’re the ones that have to go out and do the work, do it, change it and we saw some good stuff with all the guys last year and from some of the other places that I’ve been. I would expect the same type of improvement here. We have to get in, find out what they need to work on, but then, ultimately, it comes down to those guys. They have to do the work. If they want to get better, if they want to improve, if they want to be a great player, they have to put in the time on their own.”